Summary of Work: The MacArthur Study of Successful Aging represents a unique opportunity to assess the relationship between Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cortisol and to examine whether the IL-6-health outcome risks would be modified by cortisol over a longer follow-up period. Follow up on the MacArthur cohort now extends through and of the original cohort, approximately one-quarter have now died. We will measure IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) on frozen plasma samples on approximately 925 members of the MacArthur Study. Of this group of 925, approximately one-quarter have died which should provide ample power for mortality analysis. With these data, we will investigate the cross- sectional relationship of urinary cortisol to IL-6 and CRP and extend our initial findings of risks associated with IL-6 and CRP, examining whether urinary cortisol modifies any observed association. We will also examine the relationship of IL-6 and CRP to other blood markers influenced by cytokines including albumin, serum iron and hemoglobin A1c. The potential also exists to examine weight change, cognitive decline, depression, risk of fractures and other outcomes in relation to inflammation. Jeremy Sussman presented this research at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research, June 10-12, 1999, Baltimore, MD. The abstract was published in AM J EPIDEMIOL S62, 149(11)1999 (Inflammation/mortality association is explained by cardiovascular risk factors. JB Sussman, TE Seeman, MS Albert LF Berkman, DG Blazer, JW Rowe, DB Reuben, and TB Harris.) - mortality, inflammation - Human Subjects